A few weeks back we wondered aloud about what had become of GM motor-mouthproduct czar "Maximum" Bob Lutz. Good news folks, he's been spotted, and now we're pretty sure we know why GM's PR team's been trying to keep him both busy and the hell away from the US of A. "Maximum" Bob's been spotted out in jolly London taping an episode of "Top Gear"attending the London Auto Show and jawing on hybrids with the folks over at just-auto.com. Lutz's exact comments to the folks only about auto (and a poll!) after the jump.

"Toyota has said, economically, hybrids make no sense. The reduction in fuel [consumption] does not pay for the technological content and cost of the vehicle so therefore economically it remains fairly nonsensical, so that's the left-brain analytical argument.

The right brain is it's the popular thing to do, many people believe that if we all drove hybrids the world would suddenly get cooler again and then it's the patriotic thing to do because if you drive a hybrid you will no longer be funding the Arab terrorists, and so forth.

So, with all those beliefs out there, you have to do a hybrid for public policy reasons."

See, and there's the difference between GM and Toyota. At Toyota, when a major figurehead says something like that — his PR team magically points at something shiny and bright and the reporters all go "Oooh...Prius!" At GM, when Bob Lutz says something like that — his PR team magically points at something shiny and bright and then disappear. And really, that's the GM way.

But let's get our readers opinion.

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